Home Buyers Credit has been Extended into 2010

In an effort to boost the economy and help home buyers get into a new home the Federal government has extended the home buyers credit into 2010.

You can take advantage of this program if you are a first time home buyer Or meet certain qualificatons for purchasing your next home.

Details

- First-time home buyers who bought after January 1, 2009 (original date of credit term) and close before April 1 2010, would get the full $8,000. For homes purchased after April 1st 2010 to December 31st 2010 the credit is still available, but it's value would be reduced by $2,000 in each successive quarter until expiry at the end of 2010. This is an update from the original November 30th 2009 deadline. [Further extensions are possible if the housing market and unemployment get worse]

- Income qualification limits: The home buyers’ credit would be available to individuals with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of up to $125,000, or $250,000 for couples, up from $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for couples under the original rules. The higher income limits are only for homes purchased after Nov. 6, 2009. That is, the existing MAGI phase-outs of $75,000 to $95,000 or $150,000 to $170,000 for joint filers still apply to purchases on or before Nov. 6, 2009.

- *NEW*Current Homeowners looking for a replacement primary residence could also qualify for a $6,500 (up to $3,250 for a married individual filing separately). They must have lived in the same principal residence for any five-consecutive year period during the eight-year period that ended on the date the replacement home is purchased.

- Claiming the new home buyer credit: Unless you have already claimed it, the credit can now only be claimed when filing next year's tax return (in 2010) using Form 5405. For qualifying purchases in 2010, taxpayers have the option of claiming the credit on either their 2009 or 2010 return. If you and your spouse claim the credit on a joint return (both of you must meet the income and past ownership criteria to qualify), each spouse is treated as having been allowed half of the credit for purposes of repaying the credit. So the total amount claimable is still only $8000 (up to April 30th 2010).